Former DeKalb woman convicted of animal cruelty

SYCAMORE – A 26-year-old former DeKalb woman faces up to 3 years in prison for leaving her Rottweiler – which she found dead – locked in a cage without food or water last year.

Shanna Parks, now of the 0-99 block of Sierra Road, Montgomery, was convicted May 7 of aggravated cruelty to animals, court records show. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 12.

Parks called DeKalb police Jan. 24, 2012, to report that she had returned home from out-of-town to find her dog dead in its cage and her back door left open, DeKalb police Cmdr. John Petragallo said. Her boyfriend, Brandon Lloyd, 28, of Montgomery, told police he had fed and watered the dog and let it outside about 11:30 p.m. the day before, Petragallo said.

“Based on the condition of the cage – it was filled with feces and urine – the story she had given us didn’t quite make sense,” Petragallo said. ‘The officer kept speaking to her, and she ended up admitting that she had been visiting Brandon in Montgomery.”

A veterinarian found that dehydration had caused or greatly contributed to the dog’s death, Petragallo said.

Lloyd was convicted of attempted obstructing justice for lying to police and sentenced in June to a year of conditional discharge and 20 hours of public service, court records show.